Jaspers Fall Twice On Final Day In Florida

Game One Box Score

Game Two Box Score

CLERMONT, Fla. – On its final day in Florida before returning north, the Manhattan College softball team took on Cornell in a neutral-site doubleheader on Saturday night.  The Jaspers (7-13) played their second straight extra-inning contest in game one, dropping a 4-3 decision in nine innings.  Cornell (10-12) then took the nightcap by a 16-6 margin.

In game one, Manhattan got on the board right away, notching an unearned tally on a sacrifice fly by Jen Keller (Woodridge, N.J.) in the top of the first.  The Jaspers picked up another unearned run in the third, as Kate Bowen (Newtown, Conn.) reached on an error leading off the inning, Elena Bowman (San Mateo, Calif.) followed with a single, and Amanda Babcock (Haverstraw, N.Y.) then belted an RBI single that made it 2-0.

Cornell scored an unearned run of its own in the bottom of the third, but failed to get any more, as Christina Villalon grounded into a fielder's choice with the bases loaded to end the inning.  The Big Red loaded the bases again in the fourth and the sixth, but Bowen worked out of trouble each time, preserving the Jaspers' 2-1 advantage.  However, Cornell finally broke through to tie the game in the bottom of the seventh.  After Emily Weinberg singled leading off the inning, she moved to third on a pair of groundouts.  Weinberg then came across with the tying run on a Manhattan error.

The tiebreaker rule was applied once the contest reached the eighth inning, and Amy Bright (Manlius, N.Y.) was sent in to pinch run at second base.  With two down, Keller ripped a single that knocked in Bright and put the Jaspers back in front, 3-2.  The Big Red tied it again in their half of the eighth, though, as Michiko McGivney smashed a two-out RBI double.  After Manhattan failed to score in the top of the ninth, the Big Red won it on Villalon's RBI single in the bottom of the ninth.

The Jaspers collected seven hits in game one, with Babcock going 2-for-3 with an RBI and Keller contributing a pair of RBIs.  Bowen and Bowman each had a hit and scored a run.  Bowen (4-3) also went the distance in the circle, surrendering eight hits and four unearned runs while striking out two and walking three.

For Cornell, McGivney led the way with a 2-for-5 effort.  She also drove in a run, while Weinberg was 1-for-5 with two runs scored.  Alyson Onyon (7-5) tossed a complete game to earn the win.  She yielded three unearned runs and seven hits, struck out four and walked one.

After the Big Red jumped out to a 4-0 lead with two-spots in the second and third innings of game two, the Jaspers countered with two runs of their own in the bottom of the third.  Jocelin Whitmore (La Habra, Calif.) started the inning with a double, then scored on a triple by Emily Cutler (Bloomingdale, N.J.).  Cutler then came across when Babcock lifted a sacrifice fly to right.

Cornell increased its lead to 7-2 on Lauren Bucolo's solo homer and a two-run shot by Meg Parker in the top of the fourth, but Manhattan again responded, putting up four runs in the bottom half of the inning.  After Whitmore drew a leadoff walk, Sydney Weedon (Santa Ana, Calif.) and Cutler both singled to load the bases.  Bowen then smoked a two-run double, and Bowman followed with an RBI groundout.  Manhattan pulled within 7-6 when Bowen scored on an error before Sammy Roth struck out Andi Stallard (Katy, Texas) to get out of the inning. 

The Big Red got one run back in the top of the fifth, then broke the game open with an eight-spot in the sixth.  Jenny Edwards belted a two-run homer and McGivney hit a grand slam during the rally.  Parker added an RBI double, while Villalon's RBI single increased Cornell's advantage to 16-6.  The contest then came to an early conclusion when Roth struck out the side in the bottom of the sixth.

Bowen, Weedon and Cutler each went 2-for-2 in game two, as Manhattan was held to six hits in the contest.  Bowen knocked in a pair and scored a run, while Weedon and Cutler both scored twice.  Bright (2-6) started in the circle and took the loss.  She allowed seven runs (five earned) on eight hits while striking out three and walking four over 3.1 innings.  Erin Hamm (Collegeville, Pa.) worked two innings of relief, surrendering three runs (two earned) and five hits with a pair of strikeouts, before Kelsi Redding (Tucson, Ariz.) finished up, throwing 0.2 innings.

Cornell belted 17 hits in the game, with seven different Big Red players posting multi-hit efforts.  Bucolo was 3-for-3 with two runs scored and two RBIs, while Parker went 3-for-5 with three runs scored and four RBIs.  McGivney had a 2-for-5 day, scoring a run and driving in five.  Weinberg and Leanne Ianucci both scored three times.  Parker started in the circle and went three innings.  She gave up three runs on three hits, struck out one and walked three.  Roth (2-3) earned the win after yielding three runs (two earned) on three hits and striking out seven in three innings of relief.